In recent years, endoscopes are in widespread use in medical field and industrial field. In particular, the endoscope having a soft insertion portion allows an organ in a body cavity in the depths to be diagnosed without being incised, by inserting the insertion portion of the endoscope into the bending body cavity. Also, as necessary, inserting a therapeutic device through a therapeutic device insertion channel provided in the endoscope, enables a treatment/therapy such as collection of a tissue biopsy or removal of a polyp.
However, for example, when examining a lower digestive tract by inserting an endoscope having an elongated insertion portion into the body cavity from the anus side, a measure of skill has been required in order to smoothly insert the insertion portion into the winding digestive tract. This is because it cannot be perceived where the distal end of the insertion portion is located in the body cavity, or how is a current inserted state of the insertion portion.
In order to detect an inserted state of the insertion portion of the endoscope, Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-239754, to the same assignee as this application, proposes an insertion shape detecting probe. This insertion shape detecting probe can detect an insertion shape with a high degree of accuracy, by inserting it into a therapeutic device insertion channel provided in the endoscope, as necessary.
However, besides this insertion shape detecting probe, therapeutic devices or the like are also inserted into the therapeutic insertion channel. Therefore, when attempting to insert a therapeutic device into the therapeutic insertion channel, it is necessary to once withdraw the insertion shape detecting probe from the therapeutic insertion channel, and to suspend it from a holding device or the like while using another therapeutic device.
However, since the insertion shape detecting probe has an elongated shape, it has been difficult to suspend the insertion shape detecting probe without allowing it to contact a floor of an examination room or the like. Hence, it has been extremely difficult for a single operator to perform this work.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a holding device allowing a single operator to easily perform suspending work for a holding device such as the insertion shape detecting probe.